zweig



' (No Model.)

D. D. ZWEIG. I FOUT GUARD FOR FROG3.

Patented D 5, 1893.

- NITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID D. ZVVEIG, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES CROY, OF SAME PLACE.

FOOT-GUARD FOR VFROGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,226, dated December 5, 1893.

Application filed May 8,1893. Serial No. 473,343. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID D; ZWEIG, of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Guards for Frogs, Guard-Rails, and Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to animproved foot guard for frogs, guard rails and switches, and consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter specified and designated in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved foot-guard for the foot-traps or apertures of frogs, switches and the like, so that the accidental catching of the feet of the trainmen, yard-men and other persons, in the foot traps or apertures of frogs and switches, will be prevented, and lives will thereby be saved.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an enlarged sectional end elevation of a railway-switch having my invention applied thereto, the section being taken on the line X-X of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 isa sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of arailway-switch, with portions broken away, having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of the spring held foot-guard plate, inverted. Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of the fixed base-plate of the guard.

1 indicates the adjacent converging rails of the railwayswitch or frog, which are mounted upon the usual cross-ties 2 and secured thereon so as to form the usual aperture or foot-trap 3 between said rails.

4 indicates a base-plate, which has its under side beveled from its opposite edges inward so as to form a longitudinal rib or apex 5 upon said side, and so that the beveled surface thus formed will fit the correspondingly inclined upper surface of the adjacent rail flanges 6, and permit said apex to rest upon the cross-ties. The upper surface ofthis ing flange 8 is formed upon said base plate at a point adjacent to each of its ends so as to project at a right angle to the body of said base plate and have a free upper edge. The flanges 8 have a length in excess of the width of said base plate and their ends project beyond the edges thereof and ride upon the flanges 6 of the adjacent rails, the lower edges of said flanges being inclined or tapered toward their ends, so that the edges which are next adjacent to the edges of the base plate are in alignment with the tapered or beveled under surface of said base plate, on opposite sides of the apex 5. The base plate is secured in position upon the ties 2 by means'of a bolt or spike 9 driven through an aperture 10 formed in said plate and into one of the ties 2. If desired,anumber of bolts or spikes 9 may be used in the same manner, for such purpose.

11 indicates the foot guard plate which is preferably constructed with a plain or smooth upper surface and with its opposite edges beveled or inclined upon said upper surface so that the adjacent heads of the rails l are engaged by said beveled edges, and permit the upper surfaceof said plate to pass above the point of engagement, when a foot-guard is in normal position during use. A downwardly projecting flange 12 is formed upon each end of the guard plate 11 so as to project downward therefrom at a right angle to the body thereof, and telescopically engage one of the flanges 8 formed upon the base plate 4, so that so that said guard plate may loosely move up and down between the rails 1 while the flanges upon each plate engage telescopically. The flanges 12 have a length in excess of the width of the guard plate 11, and their upper edges are tapered toward their ends in alignment with the beveled edges of said plate, on each side thereof, so that said ends project a greater distance beneath the heads of the rails than do the edges of said plate. This construction prevents the guard plate from becoming disengaged during use, and yet permits great latitude of movement in various directions, during use. The under surface of the guard plate 11 is provided at'a point adjacent to each end, and at a point opposite one of the lugs or pins7 on the base plate, with an annular recess or spring socket 13, in which the upper and larger end of a helical spring 14 is mounted and secured. The lower and smaller end of each spring 14 is mounted upon and in engagement with one of the projecting lugs or pins 7 of the base plate 4, so that each of said springs is held securely in a vertical position during operation.

In practice I may increase the number of springs 14 and in some cases their number should be increased in order to provide a propersupport for the guard plate 11 throughout its length, especially if it have a comparatively great length.

The operation is as follows: The foot guard as above described is constructed with a guard plate 11 of any desired length and marginal configuration, in order to fit the aperture or foot trap 3 between the rails. In Fig. 3 I have shown two separate foot guards, one beingindicated by the numeral 15 and the other by the numeral 16, the one last named having a width much in excess of the one indicated by the numeral 15, for the reason that it fits in a foot trap which has a width considerably in excess of the width of the trap in which the guard 15 is located. The parts are located as shown, with the guard plate 11 normally held in position by the springs 14, with its beveled edges closely in contact with the under portion of the heads of the rails 1. The power of the springs 14 is such that the weight of a human being will have no appreciable efiect upon them, so that should a person step upon said guard plate it will retain its normal position, and effectively fill the foot trap or aperture between the rails 1, so that it will be almost impossible for a train-man or yard-man to inadvertently have his foot caught between said rails. But the flanges of the wheels of passing cars or trains will engage the upper surface of said plate 11 and depress the same, without injury thereto, and

immediately upon disengagement of said flanges, the springs 14lwill cause said plate to resume its normal position. This operation is clearly indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the springs 14: are located upon a central longitudinal line drawn through both the base-plate 4 and the guard-plate 11, so that said guard plate is yieldingly supported and free to look upon said yielding support.

What I claim is- 1. The improved foot guard for frogs,

switches and the like, constructed with a base plate 4 and a spring-held guard plate having end flanges 12 which telescopically engage flanges upon said base plate, substantially as herein specified.

2. The improved foot guard for frogs, switches and the like, constructed with a base plate having its under side beveled from its opposite edges inward so as to form a longitudinal rib or apex upon said under side, so that the beveled surface thus formed will fit the correspondingly inclined upper surface of adjacent rail flanges and permit said apex to rest upon the cross-ties, and a spring supported guard plate mounted upon said base plate, substantially as herein specified.

3. The improved foot guard for frogs, switches and the like, constructed with a base plate 4: having bolts or lugs? projecting from its upper surface and a flange 8 formed upon said base plate at a point adjacent to each of its ends and projecting at a right angle from the body of said baseplate, the upper edges of said flanges being free, and said flanges having a length in excess of the width of said base-plate, so that their ends project beyond the edges thereof to ride upon the flanges of adjacent rails, in combination with springs 14 mounted upon said bolts or lugs 7, and a guard plate mounted upon said springs, substantially as herein specified.

4. The improved foot guard for frogs, switches and the like constructed with abase plate 4 having an upwardly projecting flange 8 at a point adjacent to each of its ends, said flanges having a length in excess of the width of said base-plate so that their ends project beyond the edges thereof to ride upon the flanges of adjacent rails, the lower edges of said flanges being inclined or tapered toward their ends, in combination with a guard plate yieldingly mounted upon said base-plate, substantially as herein specified.

5. The improved foot guard for frogs, switches and the like having a base plate 4 provided with an aperture 10 adjacent to one end, upwardly projecting flanges 8 having their upper edges free and their ends tapered from the under side of said plate upward, a foot guard plate 11 having its opposite edges beveled or inclined upon its upper surface so that the adjacent heads of two rails may be engaged by said beveled edges, and permit the upper surface of said plate to pass above the point of such engagement, a downwardly projecting flange 12 formed upon each end of the guard plate 11 so as to project downwardly therefrom at a right angle to the body thereof, and telescopically engage one of the flangesformed upon the base plate, so that said guard plate may loosely move up and down between the adjacent rails while-the flanges upon each plate are in engagement, said flanges 12 having a length in excess of the width of said guard plate, and their upper edges also tapered toward their ends, in align ment with the beveled edges of said plate, on each side thereof, and springs mounted between the base plate and the guard plate and arranged to yieldingly support said guard,

DAVID D. ZWEIG.

itnessesz E. E. LONGAN, JNo. C. I-IIoDoN. 

